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children and a computer addictionI have two preschool children and both of them show great interest in computers. It is not just playing games, they are also able to use some software that even I don’t know. They are not some of those children sitting all day in front of a computer yet, but I wonder whether spending time playing with the computer can lead to addiction and what to do to prevent it? Psychologist's answer Nowdays, all children begin to use computers rather early. Interests and the purpose of using computer depend on their age. It seems that your children use the computer in a smart way and begin to govern the computer skills. They don’t use it just for fun (playing games, watching cartoons). However, it is important how much time during the day children spend in front of the computer. Pre-school children should not spend more than half an hour a day. When a child is older, the time in front a computer could be longer. Spending time in front of a computer can grow into addiction if parents allow their children to play with a computer longer than it’s reasonable. Information on a computer are colorful, flashy, and in the virtual world it is possible what in the reality is not. All this is very appealing to children and preoccupy their attention. In short, it is important to know and track what your children are doing on the computer, for which purposes they use it (education, entertainment), which content they visit and whether it is appropriate to their age, and to restrict the time they spend in front of the computer. |